


the same star

by DecemberCamie



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Canon Universe, Don't copy to another site, First Kiss, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Red String of Fate, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:20:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25007596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DecemberCamie/pseuds/DecemberCamie
Summary: “Listen, I’m not trying to be rude,” Galo says, arms flexing in his bindings, and Lio watches without any hint of emotion. “It’s just...I’m a firefighter, you’re Burnish. You can’t tell me this is what you wanted for a soulmate, either.”“I never thought about it.”That makes Galo’s jaw drop. “You—what?! Buteveryonewonders about their soulmate, I tried finding you as soon as my string showed up—”“And yet you shun me now.”(or, 5 ways Galo and Lio are soulmates)
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 14
Kudos: 275





	the same star

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Quintessence](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quintessence/gifts).



_“I feel like a part of my soul has loved you since the beginning of everything. Maybe we’re from the same star.”_

_—Emery Allen_

**-o0o-**

**1.**

Burnish have soulmates.

Every single last one of them—from the smallest child to the oldest surviving adult, as long as there is fire burning through their veins, they have a soulmate somewhere in this world. And it’s that same fire guiding the Burnish to their other half. 

Because their fire _changes._ Meis’s fire turns into a burning scarlet whenever he’s at Gueira’s side. Gueira’s fire morphs into a blue-purple haze around Meis. It’s not hard to figure out what’s causing the change and why.

But this is the first time Lio has ever seen his own fire change. And he’s not sure he wants it to.

Lio stares. His fire is pulsing around him in burning waves, forming a hardened multi-colored sword as he strains against his fire-fighting opponent’s icy chainsaw. The firefighter smirks at Lio through the protective shield of the robot he’s strapped into—this man doesn’t understand the meaning behind this moment, he doesn’t understand or probably care why Lio is momentarily stunned. He doesn’t understand that the sword Lio’s fire has made for him is different than his usual. Gone is the standard black with its flashing rainbow accents, gone is familiar shades of pink-gold-green-violet that represent Lio’s burning soul.

Instead, only one color flickers out of the black. It’s blue, indigo, sometimes a glint of shocking pink. It’s a specific range of colors, one Lio doesn’t recognize, one that doesn’t belong to him. It belongs to someone else and it’s very, very clear to him who that someone else is. 

For the first time in Lio’s chaotic and fiery life, he feels cold. Cold all the way through his skin, spreading in his veins, down to his very bones. It’s like someone slapped him in the face with an icicle or dunked him in a frozen lake.

Lio has plans for everything. He’s led the Mad Burnish for several years now, found a home for their Burnish brothers and sisters, timed the rescue mission for their fallen brethren down to the last second—but this? This was something he could have never expected nor dreamed of.

At the worst possible moment, Lio Fotia has found his soulmate in a shouty firefighter whose name he doesn’t even know.

“What’s the matter, big boss?” the firefighter taunts and Lio’s eyes narrow. His arms strain against his opponent’s—his _soulmate’s_ —strength, but Lio refuses to give in. “You stunned by my amazing show of heroics? ‘Cause that’s just fine by me—I’ll take you down in no time! _Ha!”_

The legs of the firefighter’s robot swing around and Lio jumps over them easily. He ducks and dances out of the robot’s way, his body moving in practiced motions even as his brain lags to catch up.

This firefighting idiot doesn’t know Lio is his soulmate. Normal civilians don’t have flames to tell them when they’d found their life partner. It’s a gift only provided to the Burnish.

Lio grits his teeth. He swings his sword through the air. It narrowly avoids the firefighter’s head, missing by inches as his opponent drops low to the ground.

Well. No matter. This firefighter didn’t know Lio is his soulmate and Lio has no reason to let him know. Most important right now is rescuing the Burnish.

Everything else—including soulmates—is second priority.

**-o0o-**

**2.**

_CLANG!_

The sound of the prison door shutting echoes around the room with a sense of finality.

“Hey!” Guiera staggers to his feet and Lio looks to him. The redhead is waving his arms left and right, up and down— “He was talking to you, dammit!”

_Beep-beep-beep!_

Cool, freezing smoke bursts from the rectangular boxes that entrap their hands. Meis and Lio scramble away as ice covers Gueira head to toe. Lio grits his teeth, waiting for the ice to crack and Gueira to fall out with a gasp.

Ice. Figures. It makes sense now how Kray Foresight managed to keep so many Burnish subdued. 

“Boss…”

Lio turns to Meis, who studies him with his blue-black eyes. Lio resists the urge to lift his shoulders defensively.

“What?” he asks sharply.

Meis isn’t fooled. “That was him, wasn’t it. The firefighter.”

 _Galo Thymos,_ Lio’s mind supplies unhelpfully. His name is Galo Thymos.

Lio pointedly ignores the little voice in his head and keeps a straight face. “It could have been anyone. That idiotic firefighter, included.”

“But your clock—”

 _“Again,_ it could have been any one of the rescue personnel. Or the civilians they removed from the building.”

“But you fought against him right when it reached zero. Didn’t you notice?”

“What?”

Lio bites the inside of his cheek as Gueria struggles to get to his feet. “Boss, don’t tell me. The guy with the oversized presentation on Matoi or morti or whatever... _that’s_ your soulmate? _Him?”_

 _“I said I don’t know,”_ Lio finally snaps. The flames inside his body call out to him, excited by his frustration and rage. They beg to be freed to the world and act as his release. They want to help him and Lio…

Lio doesn’t know if there is anything that can be done to help the situation. He’d known the numbers on his wrist were due to reach zero today but had actively decided to continue the mission as though nothing was at risk. Nothing besides the lives of hundreds of Burnish.

Lio squeezes his eyes shut. He hadn’t expected his soulmate to be a firefighter. But the universe has a funny way of making Lio suffer and he’s used to enduring the torment if nothing else.

Besides, there are other things to worry about right now.

So Lio breathes in deep and squares his shoulders. “There’s no point in discussing who my soulmate could or could not have been. We have a mission. That is what we need to focus on.”

His generals share a Look. Lio knows the Look, knows they’ve known each other longer and more profoundly than Lio ever could. They can communicate silently without opening their mouths and right now they are worried about Lio and his state of mind.

It’s not an encouraging feeling. Lio and his state of mind doesn’t matter half as much as their current position. They are surrounded by a dozen Burnish who might never see the light of day if Lio and his generals don’t pull this mission off. If Lio can put his own soulmate out of his mind for now, so should his generals.

“You..”

Lio and his generals turn. There’s an old man sitting on the floor, head wrapped in bandages. Lio’s heart aches and his rage burns under his skin. The flames call to him again and again he has to focus to simmer them back down.

Soon, they will burn. Not yet, but soon.

“You were our only hope,” the old man croaks. “But now you’ve been captured, too.”

“Captured,” Lio says with a calm he doesn’t feel. He will get these Burnish out of here even if it is the last thing he ever does. “Is not the same as imprisoned. There’s still hope yet. Just you wait.”

**-**

“What?!”

Galo blinks around at his team, all wearing various expressions of shock—Aina’s jaw is on the floor, Remi has paused cleaning his glasses, the cheese on Varys’s pizza is sliding off his slice and onto the plate, Lucia is blinking repeatedly and Ignis, well…it’s always hard to tell what’s going on in Ignis’ head with those sunglasses of his. But that doesn’t mean Galo can’t feel the hard press of his stare—as well as everyone else’s—on his face.

Galo swallows his bite of pizza. Shame or embarrassment is not a feeling familiar to him, but he feels a certain tightening in his stomach as he takes in everyone’s reactions. Had he said something weird?

Aina recovers first. “Your clock reached zero during your fight with the Mad Burnish Boss?” she demands. “And you didn’t tell us?”

Galo rubs the back of his head. “I didn’t think it was that big of a deal?”

There’s a collective sigh and Galo pouts. “What? What’d I say?”

“It’s your soulmate,” Remi says, sounding pained. “And you don’t think meeting them was that big of a deal.”

Woah, _woah,_ slow down there. “I never said that!” he protested.

“Uh, yeah, you did?” Varys says through a mouthful of cheese and Galo scowls at him. “That’s kind of what ‘I didn’t think it was that big of a deal’ translates to, buddy.”

Galo puffs out his cheeks, folding his arms. “Well, that was not what I meant.”

Aina cups her jaw in the palm of her head. “Then what _did_ you mean?”

“I meant—there was a whole giant building burning down next to us!” Galo says with a sweep of his hand. “There were people who needed rescuing, a fire that had to be put out! And as the world’s number one firefighting hero it’s my _job_ to take care of all those other things before I worry about myself.”

The Burning Rescue group stares at him again. Silence stretches on, broken only by the background chatter of other guests at the restaurant and clicking of silverware.

Galo frowned. “Okay, what weird thing did I say now?”

Lucia tilts her head. “Not weird, just…thoughtful.”

“Hey, I can be thoughtful! I’m not a firefighting hero for nothing!”

“Yeah, yeah, we heard you the first time, Galo.”

Remi adjusts his glasses. “So, you really have no idea who it could be?”

“Hmm…” Galo thinks back to the fight with the Mad Burnish leader, to the scent of ash in his nose and the heat of the flames burning across his skin. The whole encounter had been one big blur of activity and awesomeness. It had been thrilling, squaring off against someone so much stronger than him. If Galo had been alone, he would have lost.

But he isn’t alone. He’s never alone, now that he’s got this team—his _friends._ And when he finds his soulmate, he’ll be on their team for the rest of his life!

“Galo? Hey—earth to Galo!”

Galo blinks as Lucia’s hand waves in front of his face. Oh. Right. He’d never answered Remi.

“So?” Remi asks. “Do you know?”

“Nope, I got no idea who it is!” Galo says brightly and the group groans. Galo even sees Aina slap a hand to her face out of the corner of his eye and he laughs. 

“You sound way too happy about that,” Aina grumbles.

Galo shrugs. “Eh, I wouldn’t say that. I wanna find my soulmate as much as the next person. I missed them this time, but that’s okay! I’ll find them again. That meeting wasn’t our last chance. I’m sure of it.”

**-o0o-**

**3.**

They stare each other down, long and hard.

It’s a funny thing, soulmates. It’s even funnier when your soulmate turns out to be the last person in the world you expect or want to be your other half. It’s like a slap to the face from the universe itself.

And that’s kind of how Galo’s feeling just right now.

“...It’s you,” Galo says first. There are quiet murmurings and the cackling of fire in the background from the other Burnish, but Galo doesn’t pay them any attention. Neither does Lio Fotia.

Both of them are focusing on something entirely different right now. Particularly on the red string tied to the end of Lio’s pinky finger falling to the cave ground before trailing towards Galo and looping around his own right pinky. There’s no mistaking the red string’s destination, who it binds each other to. 

Galo hadn’t been sure that he would ever find his soulmate. He remembers when he was younger, how he’d tried following the red string as soon as it appeared on his sixteenth birthday. The string led all the way to the edge of the city before disappearing into the desert. He’d been devastated at the time. What if his soulmate was on the other end of the world? How would he ever find them?

Years later, bound with ropes and staring the Mad Burnish Leader in the face, Galo is very glad he never found the other end of his string.

(Another part of him wishes he’d kept chasing. At least this wouldn’t be as much of a shock now.)

“Me,” Lio says simply. “And you’re mine, I presume.”

He lifts his hand and the string tugs on Galo’s hand. Galo frowns at the light pull, then yelps as Lio gives the string an experimental yank.

“Hey—watch it!”

Lio lifts an eyebrow. “You can feel that?”

“ _Yes_ , and it hurts, dammit! So stop with the pulling already!”

Lio does as he asks. He lowers his hand, head tilting to the side and pink eyes looking him over slowly. His gaze is heavy and leaves Galo’s skin tingling.

“You’re not what I expected,” Lio says and Galo snorts. 

“That’s the understatement of the century…”

Lio lifts an eyebrow. “You’re unhappy.”

“Uh, duh! You’re Mad Burnish, how can you be my soulmate? There’s gotta be a mistake.”

Lio’s expression turns stony. “Maybe you should take the time to not judge a book by it’s cover, Galo Thymos. You don’t even know who I am and yet you’ve already decided I’m not worth your time.”

Shit. That did sound kinda harsh. 

“Listen, I’m not trying to be rude,” Galo says, arms flexing in his bindings, and Lio watches without any hint of emotion. “It’s just...I’m a firefighter, you’re Burnish. You can’t tell me this is what you wanted for a soulmate, either.”

“I never thought about it.”

That makes Galo’s jaw drop. “You—what?! But _everyone_ wonders about their soulmate, I tried finding you as soon as my string showed up—”

“And yet you shun me now.” Lio walks over to Galo, and Galo tenses. Lio isn’t very tall, but he towers over Galo now. And he’s a hell of a lot more intimidating when standing over Galo, expression stony and arms crossed.

“I never thought about my soulmate,” Lio continues. “Because I couldn’t _afford_ to. Not everyone has the luxury of having a normal childhood without Freeze Force breaking your door down. We Burnish are shunned from the moments our flames appear—my loyalty belongs to _them_ before anyone else. Even my soulmate.”

Something cold settles in Galo’s chest, right where his heart is. He swallows thickly and clenches his hands as Lio continues to stare him down. He’s not sure what to say to that, which is kind of a miracle in and of itself. Galo always has something to say but this time he’s at loss.

Because Lio’s right. He didn’t have to wonder what it would be like to be imprisoned at a young age or discriminated against. He wasn’t Burnish. 

But he also didn’t start fires for no reason or terrorize the city—

“Boss.”

Lio and Galo both look over to the fire. Lio’s two generals—the ones Galo had bound himself with icy shackles just yesterday—stand in front of the crowd, arms crossed and brows furrowed.

“We need you,” the dark haired one says.

Lio lets out a long breath through his nose. He glances at Galo, who glares resolutely back, before walking over to join his breatharian. Curious despite himself, Galo leans over to see what’s going on. Because yeah—Lio Fotia, his soulmate, is the leader of the Mad freakin’ Burnish. But what exactly does that mean? Galo always thought they just lit fires at random but Lio makes it sound like maybe that’s not all there is to the story. 

And a part of Galo—maybe his soul, the part that belongs to Lio—wants to believe him. 

The crowd parts and Galo’s eyes widen. There’s a young girl there, lying motionless on the ground. It’s hard to tell from this distance, but it almost looks as though there are small triangular flecks rising into the air off her body. But...But why? What could cause something like that? Galo’s a trained medic and he’s never seen anything like it before.

Lio lowers himself next to her and stares. His expression is that same carefully blank mask but Galo can see the slightest twist of his lips, the small furrow to his brow. He’s upset. And if that’s the case, there _has_ to be something wrong with this girl. Lio himself just told Galo his fellow Burnish is most important—

Then, to Galo’s immense shock, Lio leans down and kisses her.

Galo’s jaw drops. _Again._ Because—what? What?! Why is Lio kissing her, she isn’t his soulmate, she is—she’s—

Wait. Why should he even _care_ who Lio kisses? Yeah, they’re soulmates, but that doesn’t mean shit. Galo’s still trying to get over his shock that a Mad Burnish is his supposed partner for life!

And Lio is…still kissing her. Galo sucks in a sharp breath as the girl starts glowing, a triangle shape flickering in her chest. The Burnish around them crowd closer, momentarily blocking out Galo’s view. He cranes his neck, tests his restraints, tries to see just what the hell is going on. But it’s too difficult to see through the crowd of Burnish legs.

Galo grits his teeth. Dammit. If the girl is in trouble, Lio should have told him. He could have helped her. He might be the world’s number one firefighting idiot, but he’s also trained to take care of the injured. And even if she’s Burnish, that girl _is_ injured. That’s why Lio is currently giving her some weird Burnish form of CPR, right?

The glowing dies down suddenly. Galo blinks as the light fades from the girl, leaving only the campfire’s purplish hues to illuminate the scene. Lio’s blonde head rises above the crowd—he’s standing, looking down at the still-motionless girl with an expression of genuine sorrow and pain.

Galo’s stomach drops to the floor. Why does Lio look like that? Is the girl alright?

“Hey,” he calls and all the Burnish except for Lio turn towards him. “What’s happening? Does she need help?”

Lio doesn’t spare him a glance. “She doesn’t need help from the likes of someone like you.”

“What was that?!” Galo strains in his bonds, a growl forming in the back of his throat. “What’re you comin’ after me for? I could help her—”

He’s cut off by Lio’s bark of laughter. “You? Help?” Lio points an accusing finger at him, their red string tugging at Galo’s hand with the rough movement. “You’re the one who captured her. _You_ are the reason she’s dead!”

Dead?

Galo’s body turns cold. She’s dead? Is that what those weird triangle things were warning them of? But why did Lio kiss her, then?

The girl on the floor starts glowing again. Galo’s gaze darts to her as the Burnish mutter under their breath. For a moment, hope flutters in his chest like a flame. Glowing is a good sign, right? She had glowed when Lio kissed her.

But that hope is quickly extinguished as the fires Galo is hired to put out. Because the girl starts disintegrating into the air....like ashes.

“From flames to ashes, from ashes to flames,” Lio says quietly, his voice echoing around the cave. The Burnish join in and their joint prayers bounce off the cave walls and crash into Galo’s ears. “Rest in peace.”

“Rest in peace,” the Burnish repeat as the last of the Burnish girl vanishes into the air.

Galo’s stomach turns. The smell of burnt skin fills his nose and the warmth of fire nearby seems like a mockery to the poor girl who just died. Is this how all Burnish dies? By giving themselves to the flames even in death?

A thought occurs to him and Galo’s body goes cold. Is _that_ what’s going to happen to Lio one day?

It shouldn’t matter. Lio is his soulmate, sure, but they are also strangers. Galo didn’t even know his name before yesterday. But he can’t help the burning desire in his firefighting rescuer soul to save people—especially when that someone is his soulmate.

“You’re leaving?” he asks when news of a truck’s arrival comes to the crowd. The rest of the Burnish are already making their way out of the cave, Lio’s generals guiding the way.

Lio is the only one who paused at the sound of Galo’s call. 

“Just like that?” Galo continues. “You’re running away?”

“We’re surviving.” Lio turns to Galo and holds up a hand. A small, neon-colored fire is born in his palm, illuminating his narrow face. “We belong with our own kind.”

“You could survive here,” Galo argues. He doesn’t know why he’s trying so hard. He’s always hated how the Burnish were treated as less than human but this…this is different. This is supposed to be his other half, his partner in life. His soulmate. “Just stop putting out fires.”

Lio’s eyes darken—they’re a strange pink color, a shade Galo has never seen before. “Even if we could, you’re an idiot if you think we could live here peacefully.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Lio extinguishes the fire in his hand. “Talk to Kray Foresight. Maybe then you’ll find out.” He takes a step back, then another. Their red string pulls and stretches and something in Galo’s chest pulls and tugs as the distance between them increases.

“Goodbye, Galo Thymos,” Lio says and Galo has a hard time catching his breath. “I’m sure we’ll meet again.”

“Wait!” Galo tries to say even as Lio vanishes from his sight. “Wait—Lio! Come back! LIO!”

But it’s too late. Lio is already gone, the red string of fate stretching toward him in the dark, leaving Galo alone to wonder what the hell he just witnessed. 

**-o0o-**

**4.**

“Lio! Hey—Lio!”

Sweat blurs Galo’s eyes as he holds Lio in his arms. He presses his forehead to Lio’s, clenching his jaw as pain washes over his body in waves. His body isn’t disintegrating into ash, he’s alive and well, and yet this agonizing pain won’t go away.

He knows why it won’t go away. His soulmate’s body is a broken husk. He doesn’t move, doesn’t breathe, doesn’t blink those pink eyes at Galo and scowl and call him an idiot.

There’s just…nothing. Nothing at all.

Galo’s training takes over before he can fully start panicking. He’s never given CPR to a victim while also feeling their life slowly slip out of them but, hey, there’s a time and place for everything, right? And this is his last chance. It’s Lio’s last chance, and if there’s going to be a ‘them’ after this, then Galo better damn succeed.

So Galo lays Lio down and gets to work. It’s mechanical—thirty pumps to Lio’s chest, pause, repeat. Then go back to the pumps, then pause, then repeat.

And repeat and repeat and repeat.

And still, there’s nothing from Lio except for the constant throb of all-consuming pain. His bones were crushed from Kray’s fiery fist, his flames had been sucked out of him by the engine, his body is disintegrating before Galo’s very eyes. He’s vanishing. He’s leaving Galo behind. And Galo is helpless to stop him.

Galo’s pumps slow. His arms shake and he can’t get a good breath in. Tears blur his vision. He’s never wanted to save someone so badly. And it’s not just because he can feel Lio’s pain—he doesn’t want to lose _Lio._ He doesn’t want this to be the last memory he has with his soulmate. He can feel their whole future slipping out of his hands along with Lio’s life force.

He stops, sucks in a deep breath. Alright. There’s no choice, then. He has to do the unthinkable to stop the unthinkable.

So Galo opens his hands, and lights a fire.

**-o0o-**

**5.**

Galo’s apartment is small but quaint. There’s a kitchen, a sofa area, one bedroom and one bathroom with a cramped shower and a single sink. It’s neat enough but scattered with little hints to know this place is lived in and loved—the best is semi-made, a blanket is thrown hap-hazardly across the couch, a lone cup sits on the counter—

“Sorry, Lio, if I’d known you were coming over I would’ve cleaned up a bit!”

Lio blinks, turning his head. Galo rushes around the apartment in what must be an attempt to ‘straighten up’. He quickly shuts the bedroom door and tosses the blanket to a side chair before giving Lio an apologetic smile over his shoulder. 

Lio simply stares back, confused. What is Galo so sorry for? Doesn’t he realize Lio is used to sleeping in cardboard boxes and on cold concrete? This apartment could be a dump and still look like a slice of heaven to him. 

“You can sit on the couch, now. Like I said, sorry about the mess, ha…”

Galo rubs the back of his neck sheepishly and Lio smiles slightly. It’s endearing in a way, to see the great and loud Galo Thymos embarrassed for his sake. Does that make Lio special in Galo’s eyes?

Well. They _are_ soulmates. If Lio isn’t special in Galo’s mind, he doesn’t know who would be. 

So Lio does as Galo requests and gingerly sits down on one side of the couch. It’s red and soft and oversized, large enough for Galo to stretch out comfortably without being too cramped. When Galo plops himself on the other end, the whole cushion bounces and Lio has to grab the armrest to steady himself. 

And then silence falls. Neither of them speak. Tension is heavy and thick in the air, a palpable thing they can both sense and even taste. 

Lio stares down at his gloved hands and presses his lips together. The skin across his knuckles tingles. He knows why Galo asked him over today. They both do. It’s just a matter of actually _discussing_ it. 

Lio sucks in a deep breath. “So—” he starts, just as Galo says, “I know I—”

They both stop and look at each other. Galo’s blue eyes are wide and his cheeks are flushed. It’s a nice look on him, the kind that Lio wants to see more. If Galo will let him, that is. 

Lio smiles gently. “You first.”

“R-Right.” Galo squares his shoulders and furrows his brow. “I was gonna say—I know this was kind of random, asking you over to my place. But there’s some stuff we have to talk about. I was going to wait longer? Until maybe after all the Burnish have been properly laid to rest or something...”

Lio closes his eyes for the briefest second. He’s overcome by the smell of burnt skin and the gritty feel of ash on his fingers. He will never forgive himself for the lives he lost to Kray Foresight’s horrible machine, but he can continue to live and preserve their memory. It’s the least he can do for them.

Galo continues talking, oblivious to Lio’s inner monologue. “But I just couldn’t hold it all in until then, you know? This is something we’re both involved in and I think it’s better to talk this all out now instead of, I dunno, never bringing it up and just having it be awkward all the time?”

Lio opens his eyes to see Galo run a hand through his hair. “Shit, this is harder to talk about than I thought it would be,” he grumbles. The look on his face is endearing—the blush is darker than before, his lips are turned down in a pout. Lio can feel himself smiling despite the heavy weight in his heart. 

“I think you’re doing just fine,” he says and Galo’s eyes flicker to him. 

“Really?”

“Yes. And I agree with you. We need to discuss this, to figure out what we want from each other.”

Galo fidgets. “Well, uh. Before we start ‘discussing’ things—is it okay if I see it?”

Lio’s heart jumps into his throat. “Y-You—You want to see it?”

Galo nods. “I only got a glimpse of it before. I wanna actually get a good look at it this time.”

Lio’s heart is not only in his throat now, it’s racing, flying, sprinting. Showing a little bit of skin really shouldn’t affect him this much. But it’s because of what’s _on_ the skin that has him so worked up.

Their Soulmarks. Their symbols showing they are meant for each other.

“That’s fine,” Lio said after a slight pause. Galo lights up, as if Lio had just told him tomorrow is free pizza day. “I’d like to see yours too, if you have no objection.”

Galo is already grabbing the hems of his shirt and lifting up. “Uh, duh! I figured it would be a ‘you show me, I show you’ sort of thing.”

Lio tears his gaze away as the rippling muscles of Galo’s chest is exposed. Yes, they’re soulmates, but Lio doesn’t know what that word even means yet. Some soulmates are entirely platonic. And if that’s what Galo wants, then Lio would respect that. He wouldn’t start drooling over Galo’s sculpted abs even if they are the nicest sculpted abs Lio has ever seen.

So Lio focuses intently on his own Soulmark, where it is engraved into his skin on the back side of his hand. There’s a reason he normally wears gloves—no one needs to see something so private—and this will be the first time he’s willingly shown someone the Mark, besides maybe to Gueira and Meis an age ago. Any other time his Soulmark had been exposed was due to pure accident.

Lio breathes in deep. His chest tightens and he pushes the feeling down. It’s just Galo. He has every right to see this Mark, just as Lio has every right to see his.

“You okay, Lio?”

Lio looks up. And just like that, his breath lodges in his throat. 

Because Galo is looking directly at him, his blue eyes wide and concerned-looking. His torso is bare and his skin is pulled tight over planes of large muscles. But as attractive as Galo’s physique is, Lio is more interested in the Soulmark etched into the skin right above his heart.

Lio reaches out, then hesitates. Is he allowed to touch Galo? Does Galo want him to touch? Yes, they are soulmates but they are still practically strangers— 

“It’s okay,” Galo murmurs and something flutters in Lio’s chest. “You can touch it.”

The confirmation is all Lio needs. He traces the Mark, the black lines leading up, the pink lines leading down, the turquoise tracing across. The different colored triangles layer each other in the same shades of Lio’s Promare fire. And piercing through the middle of the three triangles is a sword.

Lio lays his palm flat against the Mark. Galo’s heart thuds against his hand in timed beats, a sign that Galo is alive and whole and well. 

“You really didn’t realize?” Lio looks up at Galo, only to see Galo already staring back at him. There’s a strange, bright-eyed gleam in his blue irises. “You didn’t know the triangle is a Burnish symbol?”

“Uh—no. Nope. I just realized it when that girl…”

In an instant Lio is back in that dark cave, to the first proper conversation he and Galo had. He remembers the fire in Galo’s eyes, as well as the fire calling from inside him that no longer exists. He remembers the scent of ashes in the air and watching his fallen comrade vanish before his eyes.

Lio withdraws his hand, feeling cold. “You’re talking about Thyma.”

“Yeah. When I saw her I realized...I realized these triangles are part of your body? Or something?” Galo scratches his head. “It’s still kind of confusing to me. But I saw her body disintegrate into ashes and I was afraid that maybe my Soulmark meant _you_ were going to die.”

That surprises Lio. “Me?”

“Yeah, cause of this sword thing.” Galo points to the sword piercing through the triangles “I already knew you had to be my soulmate, since you used the sword during our fight. So I got worried once I saw what happened to Thyma.”

Something warm burns in Lio’s chest. The feeling reminds him of the Promare, when they used to call out to him and provide comfort. Galo’s genuine care for Lio who was, for all intents and purposes, his enemy at the time is...touching. To say the very least.

Lio jumps as Galo’s fingers brush the back of Lio’s hand.

“Oh. Sorry, Lio.” Galo pulls away, regret shining in his eyes. “I should’ve asked you first. Can I—?”

“Of course,” Lio says quickly and holds his hand out to Galo. “You just startled me, is all. Of course you can look.”

Galo grins. He takes Lio’s hand gently, as if it’s something precious and important, and again Lio feels that burn in his chest. The back of his hand tingles as Galo carefully peels off Lio’s glove and reveals his Soulmark.

Lio is a bit ashamed to say that he, too, had been at loss as to what his Mark symbolized before meeting Galo. There had been no opportunity to research the strange shape of his Mark given the Burnish lockdown in the city. It had only been once Galo gave that ridiculous presentation and revealed his Matoi tech that all the pieces had clicked together.

Because his Mark is that—a Matoi. There’s the long rod, the feather-like strips hanging off one end, and the number three on top of that. It’s plain as day what his Mark represents, _who_ it belongs to. 

There’s an unbearably long pause as Galo examines Lio’s Mark. It’s not an awkward moment, but Lio can feel a strange prickling sensation across the back of his neck the longer Galo stares. What is he thinking? Normally Lio can read Galo’s thoughts on his face as easily as he might read a book, but all he sees here is an intense focus.

“Wow,” Galo breathes and Lio stiffens.

"Wow?" he repeats. “Haven’t you seen it before?” Most of Lio’s clothes had been singed when they’d been dropped into the frozen lake and then again when Kray Foresight shoved him into that energy core. Galo must have seen it at some point.

“Yeah, I did, but—I dunno.” Galo runs his fingers over Lio’s Mark, tracing it as Lio had done with his, and Lio’s breath catches in his throat. “It’s _different,_ seeing it now.”

Lio opens his mouth, then closes it. He doesn’t have to ask what Galo means. He understands all too well, having felt the same awe when examining Galo’s Mark moments ago. 

Galo lets go of Lio’s hand with a hint of reluctance lingering on his face. Then he looks up at Lio, eyes blue and honest and true. “So. What now?”

“That depends,” Lio says slowly. “What do you want between us, going forward?”

Galo tilts his head. “What do _you_ want, Lio?”

“I…”

Lio hesitates. He hadn’t expected Galo to ask him that—but he probably should have. Galo might be loud and brash and blunt, but his job is to save people. He puts people ahead of others for a living, just as Lio has done for the past few years as the Mad Burnish leader.

But he’s not the Mad Burnish Leader, anymore. He will always be a friend and guide and companion to his companions but they all now face the task of learning how to live in this new world of theirs instead of just surviving in it. And that involves thinking about wants instead of just needs.

Is Lio really allowed to do such things? Is he allowed to have wants, now? Is it okay for him to be selfish?

A gentle hand touches Lio’s shoulder. Lio turns to see Galo looking at him steadily. “Do you want me to go first?” Galo asks.

Lio nods, unsure of what else to say. Galo takes a deep breath and links his hands.

“Well, first and foremost, I wanna see if we can work this out,” he says and Lio’s heart thuds. “I like hanging out with you, Lio. I think we make a great team—”

Lio frowns. What kind of team does Galo mean? Platonic, romantic? Teammates, or something more?

“—and I, uh, think you’re really pretty. So there’s that.”

_...oh._

Lio’s cheeks warm. He curls his hands around his knees, just to have something to hold onto, and stares at Galo’s rug between his boots. Galo thinks he’s pretty? It shouldn’t be such a monumental realization, but it somehow _is._ Galo’s words hold a weight and meaning that most statements wouldn’t. Possibly because Galo is his soulmate, most likely because Galo is genuine to a fault. 

“Say something dude, you’re freaking me out a little.”

Lio looks up, blinking. Galo is blushing heavily now with flushed cheeks and pursed lips as he stares pointedly at a spot on the wall and the sight makes Lio’s heart flutter in a way he can’t recall ever experiencing before. 

He remembers that night he thought he’d died, how he woke up in Galo’s arms and knew it was his soulmate that had saved him. The arms cradling his body, the hand curved around his head, the lips he’d felt pressed to his own...they all belonged to the one Lio himself belongs to. 

Lio reaches out to touch Galo’s lips with the tips of his fingers. Galo’s eyes widen and he sucks in a surprised breath. 

“...I would like to see if this works out too,” Lio admits to both himself and his soulmate. “And I _also_ think you’re very attractive.”

“Really?”

Galo’s mouth moves under his touch and Lio withdraws his hands before he’s tempted to do something stupid. “Yes. Really.”

Galo grins. His eyes sparkle like the deep blue of the night sky just before the stars appear. “Can I kiss you, then?”

Lio’s stomach flips. “What?”

“We don’t have to!” Galo says quickly with a frantic wave of his hands. His blush is darkening and his eyes are panicked. He must have mistaken Lio’s surprise for disgust. “I just—I thought maybe—”

“Let’s do it.”

“Oh.” Galo blinks and lowers his arms. “R-Really?”

“Really.” 

Lio turns to face Galo on the couch before he can take his approval back. His heart is racing, his palms are sweaty. This isn’t his first kiss—he’s kissed people before for fun or release or to see how it felt. He had never been nervous on those occasions because those kisses had hardly meant anything. 

But, just like with all things involving Galo, this kiss is different. This is his first ever kiss with his _soulmate._

Lio doesn’t flinch as Galo cups Lio’s face with one hand. His touch is soft and warm, his broad palm calloused from fighting fires and saving hundreds of lives. Lio can’t help the quiet sigh that escapes his lips nor how he turns his face just a little into that wonderful warmth. His eyes flutter shut for the briefest second to absorb this moment. When he opens them, Galo is giving him a strange but intense look. 

“What?” Lio whispers. “Why are you—?”

Galo surges forward and kisses the words right out of his mouth. Lio makes a surprised noise in the back of his throat that is soon lost in the press of their lips. He can see Galo’s eyelashes, his blushing cheeks and his squished nose. Lio’s eyes close of their own accord and a warm, giddy feeling bursts to life inside his chest like fireworks. He tilts his head, curling one hand around Galo’s shoulder as one of Galo’s arms snakes around his waist to pull him even closer. 

All Lio can feel now is warmth. Warmth from Galo’s still bare chest, from the hand cradling his cheek, from his chapped lips. Galo’s mouth is soft and gentle. He moves his lips against Lio’s not to push, but to explore. To taste. To remember. And Lio kisses back, his grip tightening on Galo’s shoulder because he doesn’t want this moment to end. 

If he were doing this with anyone else, he would have pushed them away by now. Kissing is good and fine but being trapped in someone’s arms goes against every single one of his survival instincts and Lio always needs an escape route no matter where he is or what he’s doing. 

But Lio doesn’t need to worry about things like that now. Not anymore. Because right now Lio is with his soulmate in his wonderfully small and cluttered apartment, living in a world they saved together. It’s a world where Lio no longer has to run or hide—and it’s all thanks to Galo. 

Here, in Galo’s arms, Lio feels content and at peace. He feels safe and loved. 

Here, in Galo’s arms, Lio feels like he belongs. 

**Author's Note:**

> Can you tell I love soulmate aus? Hahaha
> 
> The order of the soulmate aus are as follows: 1) Burnish flames change color around their soulmate, 2) Everyone has timers on their wrists counting down to the moment they meet their soulmate for the first time, 3) Everyone has a 'red string of fate' leading them to their soulmate, 4) Everyone feels their soulmate's pain, 5) Everyone has a soul identifying mark that represents their soulmate
> 
> This is my first attempt at writing Promare so hopefully everyone is in character! I also wrote this after only seeing the film one time so specific details might be a little off in regards to the movie's plot. But I had a lot of fun with this, soulmate au is one of my favorite aus ever and I figured why should I limit myself to only writing one soulmate au when I can have five of them all in one fic? :D
> 
> I wrote this for my friend Quintessence on ao3/storybookprincess on ao3 because she is amazing. And my friend xyliane on ao3/tumblr beta'd for me, she made this so much more readable haha. 
> 
> Okay I think that's it. Thank you for reading! ^-^
> 
> [[my tumblr]](https://decembercamiecherries.tumblr.com/)   
>  [{my twitter}](https://twitter.com/decembercamie)


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